Interlocking joint for the doors and frames of safes



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. L. HALL INTERLOGKING JOINT FOR THE DOORS AND FRAMES OP SAFES, &c. No.398,608. Patented Feb.26, 1889.

W1T1VESSES7 i lNVE/V TOR ATTORNEYS.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. L. HALL.

INTERLOGKING JOINT FOR THE DOORS AND FRAMES 0F SAFES, &o.

No. 398,608. Patented Feb. 26, 1889.

(No Model.) I 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

,J. L. HALL;

INTERLOGKING JOINT FOR THE DOORS AND FRAMES 0F SAFES, am. No. 398,608.Patented Feb. 26, 1889.

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ATTORNEYS.

lIniTE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH L. HALL, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

lNTERLOCKING JOINT FOR THE DOORS AND FRAMES F SAFES, &c.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 398,608, dated February26, 1889.

Application filed June 5, 1888.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH L. HALL, of Cincinnati, in the county ofHamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Interlocking Joints for the Doors and Frames of Safes,Vaults, and other Inclosures, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for making a tight and secure jointbetween a door and its j ambs, as hereinafter more fully described.

Figure 1 is a front elevation; Fig. 2, a perspective view of thedoonframe shown in section on the line 00 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, an enlargedsectional view on the line :r a of Fig. 1, showing the door nearlyclosed; Fig. 4, a similar view showing the door closed. Fig. 5 isaperspective view of the door detached Figs. 6, 7, 8, and 9 illustratethe construction by which the movable bars or bolts are renderedremovable. Figs. 10 and 11 are transverse sectional views showing themovable bars or bolts located in the edges of the door instead of in thejambs; Fig. 12, a front View of the bolts or bars in their relativepositions and partly in section; Fig. 13, a front and end view of themovable bars or bolts; Fig. 14:, a similar View of abolt or bar with amodification of the journals or pivots, and Fig. 15 is a cross-sectionof one of the movable bars or bolts with a packing applied thereto.

The object of this invention is primarily to secureatight andinterlocking joint between a door and its jambs, irrespective of thecharacter of the receptacle to which the door may be applied, it beingdesigned for use in safes, vaults, refrigerating-rooms, ice-boxes,jails, bulk-heads in vessels, and, in short, to anything which has adoor or lid.

The construction and mode of operation are so fully illustrated by theaccompanying drawings that a brief description only will be required toenable persons skilled in the art to construct and use the same.

The invention consists of a bar or bolt set in the jambs surrounding thedoor in such a manner as to be free to turn ormove in its seat, saidbolt or bar having a longitudinal groove or recess in which a projectingflange Serial No. 276.136. (No model.)

i on the edge of the door engages or interlocks as the door is closed.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown my invention applied to a safesimply for illustration.

In each of the jambs of the door-frame, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4, Ilocate one of the bars or bolts C, and on each edge of the door B, asshown in Figs. 3, 4., and 5, I make a projecting flange, 17,corresponding to the groove h in the face of the bar or bolt C, so thatwhen the door is closed the flange b will enter the groove 71, asindicated in Fig. 3, which represents the door in the act of beingclosed, and as the door continues its move ment it will cause the barsor bolts C to move to the position shown in Fig. 4, in which it will beobserved that the lip c of bar or bolt 0 is brought up snug against theexterior face of the flange 1) of the door B, thus making a secureandtight joint.

The recesses or seats for the bolts or bars C may be made in the frameand the bars or bolts C placed therein before the frame is put together;or the bars or bolts may be so constructed that they will be detachable,so they can be set in place or removed at will. In either casecorner-blocks D will be inserted in the corners of the frame A, as shownmore clearly in Figs. 6 and 7.

If it be desired to make these movable bars or bolts 0 detachable, theywill be provided with adjustable pintles or journals e, as shown inFigs. 8 and 9, in which it will be seen that the pintles consist of abolt set in a hole in the end of the bar 0, with a spiral spring,f, atits inner end, which will permit the pintle to be shoved inward farenough to bring its outer end flush with the end of the bar 0. A slot,g, is cut from the bottom of the groove h through to the hole in whichthe pintle e rests, as shown in 8 and 9, in which a lug or projection,Z, on the side of the pintle slides, and by means of which, with a hookor any suitable tool, the pintle e can be pressed inward, compressingthe spring f, when it is desired to remove or insert the bar or bolt 0,it being understood that the pintle or journal 6 at both ends of the bar0 are constructed in these strips a need not be used.

the j ambs, shown in this instance, a detach-.

able strip, a, (shown detached in Fig. (3,) is

.inserted by the side of it in the jamb, and

which of course must be removed before the bar or bolt C can be insertedor removed. It is, however, obvious that if the bar 0 is set into thejamb only half its diameter or less If it is not desired to make thebars or bolts 0 removable, then their pintles or journals may be madeintegral with the body, as shown at the right-hand end in Fig. 14.

It is also obvious that they may be made without any pint-lesor'jonrnals when set more than half their diameter within the j amb, asin such case they will be held securely in the recess, as shown in Figs.2, 3, and a; but I prefer to make them with the pintles or j ournals,because it reduces the friction and enables them to be more easilymoved, and when used in safes or vaults I prefer to make them removable,so they can at any time be taken out and cleaned of dirt or rust, whichmight in the course of time cause them to stick or bind, especially i iused in basements or other damp places.

If it be desired to make the joint air-tight, felt, rubber, or similarpacking may be used, it being placed in the bottom of the groove 72,where it will be compressed by the edge of the flange l) as the door ispressed shut; or it may be secured to the outer side of the flange,where it will be pressed upon by the lip c of the bar C when the door isclosed.

In Fig. 15 I have shown the packing m as being applied not only in thebottom of the groove in the movable bar or bolt C, but also to the faceof the overlapping lip c, which presses upon the outer face of theflange Z9 when the door is shut. It is, however, obvious that it may beapplied to the outer face of the flange 1), instead of on the inside oflip c, the latter, however, being preferable, because it will be lesslikely to be injured or displaced when so applied.

Thus far I have described the bars or bolts 0 as being set in the jambs,and the interlocking flange b as being made on the door;

but it is obvious that these may be reversed-- that is, that the bars orbolts 0 may be set in the edge of the door and the flangeb be made onthe jamb, and they are so shown in Figs. 10 and 11, this being merely amatter of choice or convenience for the manufacturer, the re sult andmode of operation being the same in both cases. As a general rule,however, it will be more convenient to set the belts or bars 0 in thejambs and have the flanges on the door.

It will be observed that the inner wall of the groove h in the bars orbolts 0 is beveled or cut oif at an inclination, and which is donesimply to enable the flange b .to enter the groove without making thelatter perceptibly wider at its bottom than the thickness of the flange,so as to secure as close a fit as possible when the door is closed.

It will be seen that by this construction when the door is being closedthe flanges b will strike against the inner wall of the groove h of thebars 0, and that as the door contiir ues its movement the flanges Z)will cause the bars G to turn until when the door is com pletely closedthe lip c ofthe bars C will be brought snug and tight against the outerface of the flanges Z) all around, as shown in Figs. l and 10.

It will of course be understood that the bars or bolts and flanges maybe applied at one side or end only of the door, or at two or more sidesand ends, as may be desired. hen applied at all four sides, it will benecessary that the door be hung with double hinges, which will permitthe door after it is swung into position in front of the opening to beforced straight inward, it being repre sented as so hung in Figs. 1, 3,and t; but as this manner of hanging doors is well known, especially insafes and vaults, it. need not be further described.

This method of making a tight and interlocking joint between a door andits jambs or frame can be applied for a great variety of purposes, andobviously without reference to the means used for looking or fasteningthe door, and for that reason I have not in this case described anylooking or fastening devices. In another application filedsimultaneously herewith, Serial No. 276,137, I have described a meansfor locking safes, vaults, &c., in which this kind of interlocking jointis used.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is-- 1. Incombination with a door and its j ambs, one or more movable bars-orbolts, G, located in one of said parts, and a flange, 2 on the other ofsaid parts, arranged to engage therewith, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

2. Ina door and its frame, the combination of the movable bar or bolt 0,located in one of said parts, the packing on, and the flange 11, saidparts being arranged for joint opera tion, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

3. The combination of the movable bar or bolt C, provided with the slotsg, the pintle or journals 6, provided with the lugs Z, and the springsf, all substantially as shown and described.

a} In combination with the movable bar or bolt 0, set in the face of adoor-jamb or in the edge of a door, as herein described, the removablestrip a, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. I 5. A doorprovided on one or more of its edges with a flange, Z), projectingtherefrom face of the janih, substantially as herein set IO forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twowitnesses.

J OSEPII L. HALL.

Witnesses:

R. T. PULLEN,

lino. D. SPIELMANN.

